Home Office

Fraud

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of reports made to Action Fraud have been reviewed by (a) a computer system and (b) a member of staff in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr Ben Wallace: No reports are dismissed by a computer system. All reports submitted to Action Fraud are processed through an automated triage system that is designed to ensure that resources are targeted at those cases that have the most viable lines of enquiry. An automated process is required due to the large number of cases received (approximately 42,000 per month) to provide an efficient and effective response.Crime reports to Action Fraud are assessed and triaged through the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) data analytics system which identifies links between seemingly unconnected fraud and cyber crime incidents from all over the country. Having received a report, the first phase of the crime assessment is automated using a computer based algorithm which scores the report’s suitability to be investigated against a number of criteria. This triaging ensures a consistent national approach to the assessment of fraud and cyber crime reports and effective targeting of resources. Some of these criteria include the victim’s vulnerability, whether the identity of the offender is known, if there is evidence available to support this (e.g. a confirmed bank account money has been paid to), or the volume of reports made about a specific offender.  Reports with the highest viability scoring are then referred for further action by a crime reviewer. The crime reviewers will then undertake further work to identify whether there are sufficient lines of enquiry for the matter to be disseminated to law enforcement. Where opportunities for further action are identified, these crimes are referred to a local police force or other partner agency.During the financial year 2017/2018 there were a total 294,984 reports. Of these reports 113,488 were both system and crime reviewer assessed, the remainder (181,496) were assessed solely by the automated system.During the financial year 2016/2017 there were a total 280,706 reports. Of these reports 128,564 were both system and crime reviewer assessed, the remainder (152,142) were assessed solely by the automated system.During the financial year 2015/2016 there were a total 234,201 reports. Of these reports 117,179 were both system and crime reviewer assessed, the remainder (117,022) were assessed solely by the automated system.

Passports: Caribbean

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations his Department received before 2018 on the eligibility for UK passports of Caribbean-born UK residents.

Caroline Nokes: It has always been open to Caribbean-born UK residents to apply for documentation confirming their right to reside here, and for a British passport once they became naturalised as British Citizens. The vast majority of the Windrush generation already held documentation confirming their status here, but those who have not are those the Windrush Taskforce are helping now.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Design

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to implement the recommendations of the Report of the Zahid Mubarek inquiry, published in June 2006, in the design of new prisons.

Rory Stewart: We have undertaken a comprehensive review of the evidence on prison design and consulted widely to ensure the design of new prisons is safe, secure and decent. The design of the new prisons are predominantly single cell and we will ensure that prison operators undertake the appropriate security and safety procedures including cell sharing risk assessment.